by Peng-yu Chen Located off the southeast coast of the Asian Continent at the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, Taiwan suffers from numerous typhoons each year, especially during the period from July to September, and mostly in August. Japan, which is close to Taiwan geographically, also encounters the same challenge; however, typhoon holidays only exist in Taiwan. Purpose According to statistics, there were 218 typhoons within 47 years from 1949 to 1996, so typhoons can be seen as the most frequent natural disaster that strikes Taiwan. When the typhoon approaches or hits the land, it often brings a large amount of rain or blows strong wind, and even causes landslides in some mountain areas. The government then set up rules concerning typhoon holidays to prevent the public from being exposed to the danger on their way to work. However, in fact, a typhoon holiday should not be called a holiday. Origin, and Evolution It was not until 1993 that the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration took charge of declaring whether there would be a typhoon holiday after consulting with city governments and weather forecasts from the Central Weather Administration. Typhoon holidays were no longer national but sometimes only in individual cities or even districts. In 2000 the regulations for getting days off because of natural disasters were finally released. Natural disasters include typhoons, floods, earthquakes, landslides, etc., and they cannot really be called holidays. Most importantly, according to the Ministry of Labor this is a “regulation” not a law, so workers still need to follow their employers’ decisions. Controversies The reason why the typhoon holiday only exists in Taiwan is that the decisions in other places such as Japan and Korea are made by companies or schools rather than by city mayors. This has been criticized in Taiwan as mayors want to please the public and avoid taking responsibility for any accidents; therefore, it is easier to get a day off when moderate or severe typhoons strike. An interesting phenomenon, as a result, was born. The public will wait for the announcement by staying tuned to the news instead of getting to work, and if the mayors do not declare a typhoon holiday they will receive many mean comments. But if the mayors declare a day off they will be praised. If the weather the next day is also harsh, they will even be praised for their precise prediction. In Japan people worry instead about the huge impact on industry. Getting a day off on a work day indeed causes a sensational influence. According to calculations in Taiwan a single typhoon holiday costs 20 billion New Taiwan Dollars! In Japan it is the employers that make the decision by assessing the influence on transportation, but normally there will not be a day off because Japan’s transportation system produces fewer inconveniences. Dilemma
Looking at statistics collected in 2005, the percentage of having the “right” call in declaring a typhoon holiday is less than 50 percent, which means that it was usually fine to go to work on those days. Department stores, cinemas, and other recreation sites are often crowded on typhoon holidays. As a result, store owners have to make a calls regarding a typhoon holiday as well. If they decide to open they will get considerable revenue but negative criticism for neglecting the safety of their employees. On the other hand, if they decide to close they will lose money but win people’s hearts for taking good care of their employees. Solution To conclude, in order to improve these conditions the government has to make some changes. First of all, they should start to consider changing the regulations so that employers make the decision to declare a typhoon holiday, not city mayors. People forget the purpose of the emergency and should not go out just for fun. And most importantly, Taiwan should improve its transportation to take care of people’s safety instead of keeping them at home. a
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May 2024
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